


From Rock Bottom You Can Only Go Up

by Jordanicus_Prime



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Gen, Optimus Prime needs a BREAK, Something always has to go wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-05 19:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19047265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jordanicus_Prime/pseuds/Jordanicus_Prime
Summary: Of course, the one time you actually get to go on a mission with Optimus Prime, everything would go horribly wrong.Written and posted on my tumblr @assemblethestory





	From Rock Bottom You Can Only Go Up

Of course, the one time you actually get to go on a mission with Optimus Prime, everything would go horribly wrong.  
It was simple a simple mission really. All they had to do was enter the mine, find any energon left behind, and make sure the mine stays standing. At least that’s how it was put to you by Ratchet.  
Two hours later as you both were meandering through the cave a step from Optimus sends a sickening crumbling noise from right below your feet. As cracks formed on the ground you looked up at Optimus, eyes wide in fear and unable to move. Fearing what would happen if he moved again, Optimus could only watch as the floor below gave way.

When you awoke, you noticed a film of dust covering you. Luckily, you were unharmed except a cut on the crown of your head and a scrape on your arm, both were mostly superficial wounds. You went to stand and look for Optimus but screamed in pain when you tried to move your leg. You turned to look at it and paled when you saw it pinned between two massive boulders.   
Upon hearing your yell, a pile of rubble near you shifted. You could swear there was gonna be another cave in when you saw a massive hand deliberately moving the rubble, ensuring it fell around you but not near or on you. 

“Are you alright? I heard you yell.” Optimus asked.   
“Yeah, I’m fine other than my leg, it’s trapped under these rocks and I’m pretty sure shattered. Hurts like hell. How are you?” you winced as you shifted slightly.

“It would appear I’m in a similar situation.” Optimus responded, but you could see that his entire frame from the waist down was covered in rocks. What really concerned you however, was the amount of energon pooling around where the rocks ended and Optimus began.

Your eyes widened as you took in the severity of his injuries. Before you could express your concerns, Optimus raised a hand to stop you. “I have experienced worse, we just need to free ourselves. I believe once we get above a certain amount of this rubble I should be able to call Ratchet for assistance.”

Feeling slightly reassured, you swallowed your fears and nodded. Optimus gave you a small smile at your courage, though you could see some pain in his optics that wasn’t normally there.   
“I think I can get my leg out from these rocks.” you winced as you lifted your upper body to face your trapped leg. “I just need to somehow turn myself over and use my other leg to help me pull myself out, then I’ll try to help you, I wouldn’t move that pile too much Optimus, we don’t want another cave in.” You felt bad when you saw his optics darken a bit with shame, of course he blamed himself for the cave in. “Hey,” he looked up to meet your eyes. “this isn’t your fault, you just happened to take a step on hollow ground, nothing could’ve prevented that.” Optimus nodded, pushing his worries out of his mind as you got to work freeing yourself.

You took a deep breath and managed to turn yourself to your side, becoming nauseous when you noticed your foot didn’t follow you. You swallowed your nausea and reappearing lunch and turned so you were laying on your back.   
Optimus managed to catch your eye and you sent him a smile meant to reassure that from his perspective looked more like a grimace. Before you could chicken out, you sat up and placed your good foot on the rock right next to where your other leg was trapped. You began pushing and cried out when your leg slid out except for your foot, which was wedged in by your shoe. Catching your breath and wiping the few painful tears from your face, you stopped to take in the damage done to your leg.

“That’s definitely broken, but once I get this shoe off I should be able to get my foot out and then we’ll go from there.” You explained out loud to help you think through the process and hopefully ease Optimus’ worries. “I would kill for some painkillers though.” you joked, bracing yourself to work your shoe off.   
You could reach your hands into the crevice in the rocks and untie your shoelaces fortunately, but the hard part was gonna be sliding your swollen foot through the crevice. You placed your good foot on the rock where you had and tried to push yourself out as you had previously. When your foot finally came out you took a deep steadying breath. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and you could feel a steady pain building in your leg from the knee down. Pushing yourself up to your feet you leaned heavily on a wall and planned what to do next.  
“Are you alright?” Optimus questioned. He hated watching you struggle to free yourself but he was in no better shape than you were. Seeing how pale your face was and how you were favoring your injured leg made Optimus’ insides boil with worry. 

“Yeah, the sooner we get out of here, the better, we need to figure out how to get out of here.” You could really feel the pain in your leg now, you had no idea how you were going to get Optimus out from the pile of rubble without causing another cave-in.   
As if reading your thoughts, Optimus cut off your train of thought. “If you climb up the rubble you can most likely retrace our steps and pick up a signal to get in contact with base.”  
Nodding your head in response, you began to hop over to the pile of debris covering Optimus and prepared yourself to climb up. 

Rock climbing itself is no easy feat. But with one broken leg it seemed nearly impossible. After 20 minutes of climbing over rubble you were back to flat ground. You hobbled your way down the cave until you got a cellphone signal. By that point your leg was throbbing and it took all of your composure not to cry. Dialing the number for the Autobot base quickly, you were soon greeted by the ever snarky voice of Ratchet.  
Before he could quip about how important it was to leave the emergency channel open for emergencies, you cut him off, explaining the situation.   
“It will be some time before we can get that deep in the cave and we’ll have to tread carefully but we are on our way.” Ratchet assured with the sound of the Groundbridge firing up in the background. You sighed with relief as the call ended and began to make your way back to Optimus.  
You stopped on the ledge above where the rubble started. There was no way you were going to climb back down. What stopped your thoughts after that was a large pool of energon around Optimus on the cave floor. You felt your face pale.

“Optimus? You alright down there?” you asked.  
“I-I am alright Y/N” Optimus answered, not fully trusting his voice to keep a steady tone.  
“W-why didn’t you say how bad the damage was?” you asked, the realization of the scene dawning on you.  
“There was no need, and I’ll be alright.” Optimus attempted to reassure weakly. You rolled your eyes at his lack of self-preservation and sucked in a quick breath as you slid down the rubble to be closer to eye level with Optimus.  
“I may not be Ratchet, but I know what energon loss looks like.” you sent him a no-nonsense glare. “The others should be here soon, until then you’re gonna tell me how to help and you’re gonna keep talking to me so I know you’re awake.” You were shocked at how you pulled your composure together. Optimus looked a little miffed at receiving orders from you, but obliged as he was in no position to argue.   
“I don’t want you attempting to assist me medically, the energon could be toxic to you, especially your wounded leg.” Optimus spoke, his normal authority back in his voice, then he added much softer. “What do you wish to discuss, if you’re going to keep me awake?”

At that point you could see the exhaustion and weakness in his optics. “Tell me about Cybertron. Like, do any parts of Earth remind you of it, or were any parts of it the polar opposite?”  
Optimus gave a small smile that sent a wave of reassurance through your chest. He launched into a story about Cybertron, his Cybertron, the one that had yet to be destroyed. You made sure to keep eye contact with him to see if he was slipping. 

Once you got to the point where you could tell Optimus was having trouble focusing. Mentally cursing, you began asking him questions to keep him on topic. Just when you thought you were going to have to try your hand at Cybertronian medicine, you heard quick footfalls indicating the Autobots had arrived. Relief flooded through you as Ratchet and Arcee immediately went to Optimus and you were gently scooped up by Bumblebee.  
Bumblebee buzzed something you couldn’t understand to Ratchet, who turned his optics going right to your injured leg. “You did good, keeping him alert, I’ll take care of him here, get him stable and then we’ll bring him through to the medbay. Bumblebee, get Y/N out of here and have June look at that leg.” He ordered turning back to the patient he knew how to deal with.   
As Bumblebee brought you through the Groundbridge you smiled to yourself at Ratchet’s praise, and finally allowed yourself to rest. You were going to be fine and so was Optimus.

**Author's Note:**

> Whoop, my first post on ao3! Hope you guys enjoy!


End file.
